Homeschooling vs Public or Private Schooling

Many times, parents ask whether homeschoolingsuperior. However, homeschooled students were
works. It's true that parents know that publiceven functioning above their private school peers.
schools can often have problems, but they don'tIn addition, homeschooling costs less than either
know that they can do any better if they teachprivate or public school does. On average, public
their children themselves that if they send theirschools spent $6,500 per student per year.
children to public school. As an alternative, somePrivate schools spent $3,500 per student per
parents opt for private school. Since a child'syear. Homeschoolers spent just $550 per student
education is so important, though, they'reper year. Of course, the last number does not
understandably cautious when they think ofadjust for the fact that a parent teaches for
homeschooling their children themselves."free" and teachers are paid monetarily.
However, numerous studies show thatPublic school first became commonplace in the
homeschooling in large part produces superiorsecond half of the 19th century. At that time,
results as compared to public or even privatemore and more states made at least basic
schooling. Part of this may be due to the facteducation compulsory. This was done in an
that homeschooling by default means that parentsattempt to increase literacy rates. Prior to that
are involved in their children's educations. This istime, many parents were only barely literate in
also often true in public or private schoolthe English language themselves, often because
education, but not always. Therefore, may bethey had just immigrated to the United States.
parental involvement is the deciding factor, ratherNonetheless, despite this, illiteracy rates in
than the homeschooling situation itself.Massachusetts in 1840 were still just 2% among
However, even when this is taken intoadults. By 1995, that figure had jumped to 19%,
consideration, homeschooling still produces betterdespite the supposedly increased emphasis on
results versus public or private school.literacy in recent years as well as a much greater
A study sponsored by the US Department ofavailability of books and other reading materials.
Education showed that homeschooling students'Presently, approximately one million children are
scores were "exceptionally high" as compared tohomeschooled in America yearly. Many thousands
their peers. Every grade showed median scoreshave attended universities and colleges. Some of
higher than those for public or even parochial orthose colleges were prestigious and very difficult
private school students. Homeschooled studentsto get into. With homeschooling, peer pressure
who would have been in grades one through fourthat normally plagues children otherwise eager to
functioned at least a grade level above theirlearn is absent. Instead, the parent or tutor, as
peers. By the time they reached what was thewell as any "classmates," only encourage the
equivalent of eighth grade, they were four yearsstudent.
ahead of their public school peers.In short, homeschooling is a wonderful way to
In part, this may be explained by the fact thatgive your child an education if you're up to the
public schools in general often do a substandardtask.
job and not that homeschooling is by default